Treaty of Georgievsk, 1783

The Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 between Catherine II the Great
of Russia and Irakli II of Georgia provides invaluable evidence in establishing
the ebenburtigkeit of the Bagration Dynasty of Georgia (especially the
Mukhrani branch), a matter which is essential in determining the equality
of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich's marriage to Grand Duchess Leonida
Georgievna (Mukhranskaia). The claims of the legitimist pretender to the
Russian throne, Grand Duchess Mariia Vladimirovna (daughter of TIH Vladimir
and Leonida), depend in part on the equality of birth of the Romanov and
Bagration dynasties. That equality of birth is established in the treaty
below.

July 24. Treaty established between Her Imperial Majesty and Tsar
Irakli II of Karli and Kakhetia.

Since ancient times, the All-Russian Empire, on account of its same
faith as the Georgian people, has served as the defense, support and refuge
to the said [Georgian] people and to their Most Serene Sovereigns, against
the oppression of their neighbors, to which they were susceptible. The
protection given by the All-Russian Autocrats to the Tsars of Georgia,
their family and their subjects, has produced this dependence of the latter
on the former, which dependence is indicated even in the very Imperial
title [of the Russian Autocrat]. Her Imperial Majesty, now happily reigning,
has satisfactorily shown her monarchical favor to the said [Georgian] peoples
and magnanimous care for their good by Her strong efforts made for their
emancipation from the yoke of slavery and from abusive tribute of boys
and maidens, which [tribute] certain of these [Georgian] peoples were obliged
to render; and by Her Majesty’s continued care for their Rulers. In this
very situation, bowing to a request brought to Her Throne from the Most
Serene Tsar of Kartli and Kakhetia, Irakli II Teimurazovich, to receive
him with all his heirs and successors, and with all his Kingdoms and Regions
in the Monarchical protection of Her Majesty and of Her August Heirs and
Successors, with the recognition of the Supreme power of the All-Russian
Emperors over the Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakhetia, [Her] Most-Gracious
[Majesty] consented to prepare and conclude a treaty of friendship with
the aforementioned Most Serene Tsar, by means of which, on the one side,
His Serene Highness, in his own name and [that] of his successors, recognizing
the Supreme power and protection of Her Imperial Majesty and of Her August
Successors over the Rulers and peoples of the Kingdoms of Karli and Kakhetia
and the other Regions which belong to him, would determine solemnly and
precisely his duties with regard to the All-Russian Empire; and on the
other side, Her Imperial Majesty in the same manner could determine solemnly
what preferences and privileges are to be granted from Her generous and
strong right hand to the aforementioned peoples and to their Most Serene
Rulers.

For the concluding of said treaty, Her Imperial Majesty has granted
full power to Illustrious Prince of the Roman Empire Grigorii Aleksandrovich
Potemkin, General of [Her Majesty’s] forces, commanding the light cavalry
(regular and irregular) and of many other military forces; Senator; Vice-President
of the State Military Ministry; Governor-General of Astrakhan’, Saratov,
Azov and Novorossiisk; [Her Majesty’s] General-Adjutant and Active Chamberlain;
Lieutenant of the Horse Guards; Colonel of the Preobrazhenskii Life Guards;
Head of the Armory; knight of the orders of Holy Apostle Andrew, of Alexander
Nevskii, of the Military Order of St. George the Great Martyr, and of St.
Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles (First Class); of the Prussian Order of
the Black Eagle; and of the Polish orders of the While Eagle, and of St.
Stanislav; of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim; of the Danish Order of
the Elephant; of the Holstein Order of St. Anna—with power to appoint and
to supply, in his [Grigorii Potemkin’s] absence, with full authority [to
negotiate], to whomever he should choose as able; who, by [this power]
has appointed and fully authorized His Excellency Paul Potemkin, General-Lieutenant
of Her Majesty’s army, commander of forces in Astrakhan Province; Her Majesty’s
Active Chamberlain; knight of the Russian Orders of St. Alexander Nevskii,
of the Military Order of Great Martyr St. George the Victorious; and of
the Holstein Order of St. Anne. And His Serene Highness Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich
of Kartli and Kakhetia has appointed and fully authorized from his side:
Their Highnesses Prince Ivan Konstantinovich Bagration, His [Irakli’s]
General of the Regiment "of the Left Hand," and His Serene Highness
General-Adjutant Prince Garssevana Chevchevadze. The aforementioned Plenipotentiaries,
having set to work with the help of God and having recognized each other’s
plenary powers, have prepared, concluded and signed the following articles.

Art. 1. His Serene Highness Tsar Irakli of Kartli and Kakhetia, in
his name and in that of his heirs and successors, solemnly rejects becoming
the vassal of any power, [and rejects] any and all dependence on Persia
or any other power; and by [this treaty] declares before the face of all
the world that he and his successors recognize over themselves no other
Authority except the supreme power and protection of the All-Russian Throne
of Her Imperial Majesty and of Her August Heirs and Successors, promising
to said Throne fidelity and readiness to render aid on behalf of the State
on any occasion when such aid be required from him.

Art. 2. Her Imperial Majesty, receiving from His Serene Highness
this sincere and solemn promise, equally promises and reassures by means
of Her Imperial word, on her own behalf and on that of her Successors,
that their favor and protection shall never be withdrawn from the Most
Serene Tsars of Kartli and Kakhetia. In proof of which, Her Majesty gives
Her Imperial guarantee of the territorial integrity of the present realm
of His Serene Highness Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich, proposing to extend such
guarantee also to such territories which may in the course of time and
by circumstances come to be acquired and, by firm means, secured for him.

Art 3. As an indication of the sincerity with which His Serene Highness
the Tsar of Kartli and Kakhetia recognizes the supreme power and protection
of the All-Russian Emperors, it is decreed that the aforementioned Tsars,
ascending by [right of] heredity onto their Throne, are immediately to
inform the Russian Imperial Court about [the succession of a new Tsar],
requesting, through their emissaries, Imperial confirmation of the said
succession by means of an investiture, consisting of a decree [to that
effect]; of a flag with the All-Russian Imperial arms containing the arms
of the aforementioned kingdoms; of a sword; of a royal scepter; and of
a cloak or an ermine mantle. These symbols are to be delivered to the emissaries
or to be conveyed through the Chief of the Border, to the Tsar, who, on
receiving them, in the presence of the Russian Minister, is obliged solemnly
to take the oath of fidelity and diligence to the Russian Empire and to
the recognition of the supreme power and protection of the All-Russian
Emperors in the manner described in this treaty. This ceremony is now to
be performed by the Most Serene Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich.

Art. 4. For proof that the intentions of His Serene Highness are
pure with regards to his close union with the All-Russian Empire and recognition
of the supreme power and protection of the Most All Serene Rulers of that
Empire, His Serene Highness promises not to have relations with the neighboring
Sovereigns without the previous agreement of the Chief of the Border and
Her Imperial Majesty’s Minister assigned to [Georgian affairs]; and when
emissaries or letters should arrive from these [neighboring sovereigns],
he shall, on receiving them, consult with the Chief of the Border and with
Her Imperial Majesty’s Minister regarding the return of such emissaries
and concerning the response to be sent with them back to their Rulers.

Art. 5. In order to facilitate all necessary relations and agreements
with the Russian Imperial Court, His Serene Highness the Tsar desires to
have at that Court his own Minister or Representative; and Her Imperial
Majesty graciously acceding to this [request], promises that such [Minister
or Representative] will at Her Court be received [with the same honors]
as other Ministers of Sovereign Princes of the same rank; and, furthermore,
[Her Imperial Majesty] is pleased on her side, to keep [at the Court of]
His Serene Highness a Russian Minister or Representative.

Art. 6. Her Imperial Majesty, having received with favor the recognition
of Her supreme power and protection over the Kingdoms of Karlti and Georgia,
pledges in Her Own name and in that of Her Successors: 1) to consider the
peoples of these Kingdoms as being in a close union and in complete harmony
with Her Empire, and, consequently, to regard their enemies as Her enemies;
thus a peace concluded with the Ottoman [Sublime] Porte or with Persia
or another power or region would extend also to these peoples [of the Georgian
Kingdoms] protected by Her Majesty; 2) to preserve His Serene Highness
Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich and the Heirs and descendants to his House, uninterrupted
on the Throne of the Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti; 3) to leave the power
for internal administration, law and order, and the collection of taxes
[under the] complete will and use of His Serene Highness the Tsar, forbidding
[Her Majesty’s] Military and Civil Authorities to intervene in any [domestic
laws or commands].

Art. 7. His Serene Highness the Tsar, accepting with due respect
this gracious assurance on the part of Her Imperial Majesty, promises on
his own behalf and that of his descendants: 1) to be ready at all times
to serve Her Majesty with his military forces; 2) to meet the needs of
the Russian Authorities, being in constant contact with them regarding
all affairs relating to service to Her Imperial Majesty, and to protect
[Her] subjects form all offenses and oppression; 3) in the appointment
of persons to offices and in their promotions in rank, to show respect
for their services before the Russian Empire, on which depends the peace
and prosperity of the Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakhetia.

Art. 8. In proof of Her especial, Imperial good will toward His Serene
Highness the Tsar and to his peoples, and for the greater union with Russia
of this peoples of the same faith [as She], Her Imperial Majesty is pleased
[to recognize] the Catholicos, or their [most senior] Archbishop, to occupy
the eighth rank among the Russian Archbishops, that is, after the [Archbishop
of] Tobol’sk, most graciously conferring upon [the Catholicos] permanently
the title of Member of the Holy Synod. Concerning the administration of
the Georgian Church and relations with the Russian Synod, a special article
will be [at a future date] formulated.

Art. 9. Extending Her favor to the subjects of His Serene Highness
the Tsar, to the Princes and Nobles, Her Imperial Majesty decress that
[the aforementioned] will enjoy all the same privileges and advantages
granted to the Russian nobility; and His Serene Highness, accepting with
gratitude the gracious indulgence to his subjects, is obliged to send to
the Court of Her Majesty a list of all noble families, by which it can
be precisely known to whom such privileges belong.

Art. 10. It is established that, in general, all persons born in
Kartli and Kakhetia may settle in Russia, may leave and return again uninhibited;
[and that] prisoners, whether freed from the Turks or Persians or other
peoples, whether by arms or negotiation, may return to their homelands
according to their wishes, paying back only the expenses for their ransom
and transport; the same His Serene Highness the Tsar piously promises to
fulfill with regard to Russian subjects who have fallen into the hands
of [Georgia’s] neighbors.

Art. 11. Merchants of Kartli and Kakhetia have the freedom to ply
their trades in Russia, enjoying the same rights and privileges as native
Russian subjects; in return, the Tsar promises to decree, with the main
border authority or with Her Majesty’s Minister, that Russian merchants
[shall enjoy] all possible facilitation in their commercial activities
in his territories, or passing through [his territories] to other places,
for, without such a precise decree, the [aforementioned] conditions pertaining
to the advantages [enjoyed by] his own merchants could not [be stipulated].

Art. 12. The present treaty is to remain in force forever; but in
the case it shall be seen as necessary to change or amend it for the mutual
benefit of [both signatories], such changes must be made by mutual consent.

Art. 13. Ratification of the present treaty should be made within
six months of it’s being signed or sooner should that be possible.

In authentication of which, the below signed plenipotentiaries, in
accordance with their powers, have signed these articles and have affixed
their seals to it in the Georgievsk Fortress, this July 24, 1783.